Thanks to an abundance of rain, my pickling cucumbers are growing and producing like crazy, providing us with bowls of cucumbers each day. Thankfully, I LOVE making lactofermented pickles, creating new recipes with each batch.This type of pickle isenjoyed fresh – no canning required – so the process is incredibly quick and easy, and the end result is crisp,delicious, and good for you!
Start with the freshest cucumbers for best results. I have a few favorites varieties: National Pickling and Delikatesse being the top two. Since pickling cukes are best when they are small, I check my plants every day.
Pre-mix a large batch of brine to make pickle making effortless. The brine is a salty solution that discourages nastybacteria, while encouraging the beneficial bacteria of thelacto-fermentation process. To make a brine, dissolve3 TBSP saltin a quart of water, or for a larger batch, dissolve 3/4 cup salt in one gallon of water.
Read this post for tips on successful home fermentation.
Have fun!Get the brine proportions correct, and then experiment with adding different spices to give each batch of pickles a distinct flavor.
My threefavorite lactofermented pickle recipes:
Garlic-Ginger Pickles
5-6 pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears or rounds
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
½ -1 tsp of fresh, chopped ginger root
½ tsp coriander seed
1 clove
Spicy Pickles
5-6 pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears or rounds
Place sliced cucumbers in a wide mouth quart-sized mason jar
Place spices in the jar, and add enough brine to completely cover the cucumbers and spices
Loosely cover with a mason jar lid or cloth. Do not tighten the lid
Place on the counter in a spot where you can check on the pickles each day
Once a day, check on your pickles, making sure that the cucumbers remain submerged under liquid. I like to tighten my mason jar lid and invert the pickles a few times
After 2-3 days, do a taste test. I like to remove my pickles from the counter when they are still very crisp, but it’s a matter of personal preference!
Store pickles in the refrigerator, and enjoy!
Yield: 1 jar per recipe
Delicious pickles are quick and easy to make at home, with no canning required. These three lacto-fermented pickle recipes will get you started!
Prep Time25 minutes
Pickling Time3 days
Total Time3 days25 minutes
Ingredients
Garlic-Ginger Pickles:
5-6 pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears or rounds
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
½ -1 tsp of fresh, chopped ginger root
½ tsp coriander seed
1 clove
Spicy Pickles:
5-6 pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears or rounds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin seed
1 clove garlic
Classic Dill Pickles:
1 tsp dill seeds OR 1-2 heads of dill
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp horseradish root (minced, or cut into a small piece and smashed)
1 horseradish or grape leaf
Instructions
Place sliced cucumbers in a wide mouth quart-sized mason jar.
Place spices in the jar, and add enough brine to completely cover the cucumbers and spices.
Loosely cover with a mason jar lid or cloth. Do not tighten the lid.
Place on the counter in a spot where you can check on the pickles each day.
Once a day, check on your pickles, making sure that the cucumbers remain submerged under liquid. I like to tighten my mason jar lid and invert the pickles a few times.
After 2-3 days, do a taste test. I like to remove my pickles from the counter when they are still very crisp, but it’s a matter of personal preference!
Store pickles in the refrigerator, and enjoy!
Notes
Start with the freshest cucumbers for best results. I have a few favorites varieties: National Pickling and Delikatesse being the top two. Since pickling cukes are best when they are small, I check my plants every day.
Pre-mix a large batch of brineto make pickle making effortless. The brine is a salty solution that discourages nastybacteria, while encouraging the beneficial bacteria of thelacto-fermentation process.To make a brine, dissolve3 TBSP saltin a quart of water, or for a larger batch, dissolve 3/4 cup salt in one gallon of water.
Readthis postfor tips on successful home fermentation.
Have fun!Get the brine proportions correct, and then experiment with adding different spices to give each batch of pickles a distinct flavor.
Fermented pickles are produced using brine and go through a natural fermentation process involving bacteria that is inherent within cucumbers. These pickles contain beneficial bacteria for the gut known as probiotics, as long as they have not undergone pasteurization.
Quick pickles, the most common type of pickle found in grocery stores, are not fermented because they use an acid, such as vinegar, in their pickling brine. However, Lacto-fermented pickles are fermented because they follow the lactic acid fermentation method, which only uses water and salt in its brine.
Half sour pickles will take 3-5 days with crisp, white interiors. If is colder than 65F, it may take longer, if hotter, they will ferment faster. Full sour pickles will take 14-21 days (see notes for a stronger saltwater ratio).
Fermented foods like pickles are basically probiotic superfoods, packed full of good bacteria that can support the health of your gastrointestinal microbiome and are good for your gut bacteria. Be sure to go for fermented pickles rather than vinegar-pickled.
Fermented dill pickles are made with salt and not vinegar, so by comparison they are milder than vinegar pickles which contain acetic acid. These are the gut healthy, microbiome-boosting superfood pickles that you should be consuming everyday, three times a day.
For those that are used to fermented or probiotic foods and consume a good amount of fiber, the right amount is three times a day. The amount you consume doesn't have to be a lot. Serving sizes are quite reasonable, for example, a half a pickle, or a quarter cup of sauerkraut.
Most store-bought pickles are not fermented. Claussen pickles, Kosher pickles, Vlasic pickles, etc. are made using vinegar, heat processed to make them shelf stable, and usually contain preservatives (sodium benzoate), and other unwanted ingredients (natural flavor, polysorbate 80).
The popular claussen pickles are not fermented, they are pickled. These are two different preservation methods; fermenting is pickling, but pickling is not fermenting. Let me explain, plus let's talk about brands of fermented pickles, how to find fermented pickles in the grocery store and how to make pickles at home.
If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation. Don't use them. Using too weak a salt brine or vinegar solution may cause soft or slippery pickles, as can using moldy garlic or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.
Fermented pickles can hang in the fridge for months (we've had them shelf life tested and the official lifespan is 18 months). They're so delicious however, they'll be consumed long before that time.
Bubbling. The lactic acid fermentation process produces lactic acid bacteria that create gases when they feast on the vegetables. These gases are often visible as bubbles throughout the jar after a few days at room temperature and are a good sign.
What is the salt-to-water ratio needed for fermentation? The salt-to-water ratio is commonly between 2-5%. Somewhat depends on taste. Most recipes will call for about 2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water.
Pickles. Pickles won't technically help you fall asleep, but the probiotics in naturally-fermented pickles (my favorite is the Bubbies brand) can help to increase your levels of good gut bugs, thus improving your digestion.
The differences in their preservation does result in several differences in their available health benefits. The main difference in the health benefits between pickled and fermented foods lies in their probiotic properties. Fermentation generates more beneficial bacteria in foods, making them probiotic.
Pickle juice is rich in probiotics and nutrients, which are beneficial to health. Vitamins and minerals in pickle juice vary depending on the formula and manufacturer. Sodium and potassium are the two most common nutrients present in pickle juice. However, pickle juice includes trace levels of calcium and magnesium.
Lacto-fermentation is a great ally of our digestive system. In fact, lactic acid bacteria “predigest” food for us during fermentation. They create enzymes and break down some of the large molecules that are difficult to assimilate by our digestive system.
Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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